On Friday, Oct.25, I had the opportunity to walk through this year’s theatre haunted house, the department’s biggest fundraiser event. The theme this year was “Black Water Center for the Criminally Insane.” 

When I got to school, I was directed to the cafeteria where the beginning of the haunted house would begin. The tickets were $15, and if we wanted to go back in, the tickets were then priced at five dollars. As my group’s turn approached, the ticket collectors went through some rules with us and then sent us through the doors. 

When we stepped foot into the room, it was an automatic surge of fear, we were all waiting for something to jump out at us, and we weren’t disappointed. As my group and I rounded the first corner, we were greeted with our first guide, Braxton Fuller, who was dressed in a surgical suit, adorned with fake blood. He took us through the room which included many children who were in costume, and I must say they performed phenomenally. 

I could have believed that the actors were in an insane asylum, they were crawling around, being screamed at by the “doctors” and “tour guides,” and some even went so far as to cry, which they executed with amazing talent. 

On every path we followed, actors were hidden in every nook and cranny, hiding behind doors, under tables, and even in the shadowed corners of the rooms. The jump scares were startling, and the constant screaming and banging on the walls was enough to make the whole situation unsettling, and with the mental institute theme, I am sure that is what the actors wanted to achieve. 

The “mental patients” were not allowed to touch the “visitors” as we were called, but that did not stop them from getting up close and personal with us, and I could not help but laugh, which I did to try to ease the fear that occurred every time someone jumped out at me. I was so surprised to see everyone stay in character, even when little mishaps happened they played along with it like it was all part of the show. 

Although the sets of the haunted house were a little cliche, lots of blood, padded rooms along the way, the interactions that the actors had with each other, and the tourists were amazing. I was impressed with everyone’s skills. 

Overall, the haunted house experience was terrifying and a great representation of “Black Water Center for the Criminally Insane,” the actors did an amazing job at portraying mental patients. I cannot wait to see what the theatre department comes up with for next year.